


Recall

by AMNigma



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Romantic Comedy, Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Alya Césaire Bashing, Amnesia, Amnesiac Damian Wayne, Comedy, Damian Wayne-centric, F/M, Family Feels, Flirty Damian Wayne, Lila Rossi Bashing, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Friendship, Teenagers, Temporary Amnesia, seriously
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:02:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25583314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AMNigma/pseuds/AMNigma
Summary: Coughing, Damian knelt and tried to stand up to no avail. He couldn’t stay here. Mara left to leave a decoy trail for whoever might try to follow him. If he stayed long, he’d be found out even with the decoy trail and all of Mara’s efforts will be for naught. Falling back to the ground, he kept his breathing to a minimum to lessen the pain he felt. He needed to live. He wanted to live.~~AU in which Damian loses his memories and gets pseudo-adopted by the Dupain-Chengs.
Relationships: Chloé Bourgeois & Stephanie Brown, Damian Wayne & Everyone, Mara al Ghul & Damian Wayne, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug/Damian Wayne
Comments: 72
Kudos: 241





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> _Italics_ willl be for used for spoken French.  
>  **Bold** will be used for spoken Chinese.  
> Normal will be used for spoken English.

The pain didn’t come when he saw the blade rush through him. Damian prepared himself for the pain. He was expecting it even, the pain was probably much easier. Of course, life wouldn’t want him to have things easy. 

The blade got removed and the numbness filled his body. The taste of iron made him realize that blood was gushing out of his mouth. Damian coughed it out and felt his knees hit the floor at the same time. There was blood spilling from his gut. He couldn’t feel it though. What he could feel was his burning throat and his sore airways making it hard to _breathe_. 

He didn’t know what was happening, his eyes were blurring and his mind was beginning to haze. There was a ringing sound on his ears that he couldn’t stop, and he was starting to lose consciousness until--

“Not on me, you bastard.”

It was a familiar voice that was filled with spite. Despite that, Damian trusted it and let himself fall into the darkness. 

~~

It felt like the world was in slow motion when it happened. The sword pierced through Damian’s torso and Bruce felt his whole life crumble in front of him. The night his parents died flashed back on his mind, and whatever fear and confusion he felt as a child was replaced with anger at himself for not being able to do anything to stop it. 

Yet here he was. 

His surroundings started to fade away. He felt like being at a loss of air until he realized he was screaming his lungs out and crying. That can’t be, right? He couldn’t feel the tears. Couldn’t hear the screams. There was nothing around him but that killer, and he made damn sure that he disappeared, too. 

There was tugging at his sides, but he brushed it off. An invisible force tried to stop him from trudging forward. They could try all they want, nothing will stop him. He’ll end this once and for all. He’ll end this if it’s the last thing he does. Bruce had to end this now and-

Darkness covered in front of him ad there was blue. Someone was talking to him. Where was that murderer? He had to- 

Warmth enveloped him. 

“-ack, _Bruce_. Please.” Dick. Whispering his name and hugging him in the middle of the battlefield. “Come back.”

Finally feeling the tears on his face and the commotion around, Bruce allowed himself to be vulnerable in the fight.

~~

The first thing he felt was the buzzing in his head before the pain on his torso invaded all his consciousness. 

“Don’t you dare die,” was all he heard from his hazy consciousness before a red and green figure was covered in black, then disappeared into the night. 

Damian coughed and doubled over the side, clutching his utility be- groaning, he looked down and saw that his utility belt was gone. He was down to the black overalls he always wore underneath the Robin attire. 

Resting on the ground for who knows how long, Damian, levelled his breathing. Assessing the situation, Mara was able to tend to his wound properly, applying the appropriate amount of pressure to stop the bleeding from worsening. It was a good thing that Mara was almost as skilled as he was, if it was anyone else, he would have died. 

Coughing, Damian knelt and tried to stand up to no avail. He couldn’t stay here. Mara left to leave a decoy trail for whoever might try to follow him. If he stayed long, he’d be found out even with the decoy trail and all of Mara’s efforts will be for naught. Falling back to the ground, he kept his breathing to a minimum to lessen the pain he felt. He needed to live. He _wanted_ to live.

Damian decided to crawl down the path if it meant he would be able to move from his spot. Survival was his goal. He’d be damned by not only Mara, but Dick, too. That was for sure. Maybe his father will survive and Damian would be glad for it. 

The crickets that were singing in the night got louder as if to help mask his presence. Damian hadn’t kept track of the time. Mara took everything. It was for the best, too. If he was seen with any of his items, he’d be a target. He hoped Mara was able to get away though. If Damian died there and then, he’d just have to ask for forgiveness in hell.

He smiled at the thought of asking for forgiveness. After all, Damian Wayne doesn’t apologize. 

~~

Being alone had always been a way for him to reminisce about his allies, the family he lost on Mars so long ago. Did he regret it? Maybe. Leaving was a hard choice, choosing to go to Earth, even harder, but his choice to stay was never one he would regret. 

A vibration from his left pocket released him from his thoughts. It was an alarm. He had to go back to the flat he had before his wife- his _human_ wife - got home. Taking one last look at the sky, spotting the bright light that Mars emitted, he smiled one las-

Turning around his thoughts were interrupted by a low cough. Looking around, he couldn’t find any-

“Ahck,” a light sound of someone in pain responded as he stepped on a bump on the path. Looking down, Phu’hid moved to look down, and there he saw a _human_? Not many can sneak up on him that close without him noticing, and based on how he’d been injured, the boy couldn’t have consciously hidden his presence.

Turning the boy around, he found that even through the black garments, the blood was still evident. Human blood smelled differently from Martian blood, but it still meant the same thing, someone was hurt. Phu’hid looked up at the stars once more, locating the dim shine of his home planet. He wondered if it was a sign for him. He looked at the boy once more — yes it was a boy, he knew — and all contemplation flew out the window. 

Wearing actual clothes had always been eerie for him, but it was quite helpful in these times. Phu’hid carried the child telepathically and camouflaged them from the surroundings before flying to his place. Before he could arrive, he saw the light of their place turn on, as the shadow of his human wife of over 40 years had appeared through the curtains. 

“ _Thank you, Armand!_ ” A stout man said as a goodbye, walking to the driver’s seat of his pickup truck after locking the load from the back. 

He knew that man. It was a baker who lived somewhere not so far away. Phu’hid looked at the body of the young man, his body was frail, but from the strength of his mental constitution, Phu’hid was sure that he’d survive. 

Making the final decision, Phu’hid lightly laid the boy down on the back of the pick-up truck with the bags of flour before rushing to the rooftop of their flat. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuses
> 
>  _Italics_ willl be for used for spoken French.  
>  **Bold** will be used for spoken Chinese.  
> Normal will be used for spoken English.

Sabine’s morning started out normally enough. They prepare the bakery items as early as 3 in the morning to make sure they have fresh bread available when they open at 5. It was half-past 4 now and Tom should be on his way back with new ingredients for the pastries. 

“ _Hey_!” the scream from outside was clear and raucous. Sabine was glad that she wasn’t holding anything. If she had been, it would have already jumped out of her hands. 

“ _T-Tom_?” being such a large man, Sabine knew that her husband wouldn’t yell like that without reason. She looked at the door first, finding it open with some of the sacks of flour already on the doorway, Tom within her line of vision, staring at something. Sabine took a quick peek upstairs to see if her husband woke their child up. When she was sure that Marinette wouldn’t come down, she rushed out. “Wh-What’s wrong?”

Tom was looking at something on his truck. It — whatever it was — was obscured from her view from the doorway, so she walked to the side of her husband, holding his arm. 

“ _Oh dear_ ,” was all she could say. A figure clad in black was laid down on the back of the truck just beside the sack of sugar and lumps of cheese. 

Caught in the shock of the matter, Sabine hadn’t noticed the police car that was passing by. At least, not until it has parked to their side. 

“ _Tom_?” it was natural to call his husband, she was on the side after all. 

“ _O-Officer Roger_ ,” she compensated for her husband’s lack of an answer. 

“ _Oh, Sabine! Didn’t see you there._ ” 

“ _Haha_ ,” it was nervous laughter, she knew, but she had to do something. It was just a hunch, but she knew that whatever was on his husband’s car had to be hidden from others. 

Tugging at Tom’s shirt, Sabine pushed him to notice the cop who had stopped by.

“ _O-O-Officer_?” Sabine saw Tom look at the back object on the car before opening his mouth once more, at this point, Sabine pinched her husband to stop him from blabbering. 

“ _It was very nice to see you, but we were just moving ingredients to the bakery._ ” 

The orange-haired cop was about to step down from the vehicle saying, “ _Oh, do you need some help_?” 

_“We’ll be fine on our own, Roger._ ” She made sure that her tone was as friendly as it could be without giving away anything. “ _I’m sure you’re about to get to work as well._ ” 

The newly instated lieutenant looked at his watch before going back to his car. “ _You’re right._ ” 

“ _G-G-Good luck with work, Lieutenant!_ ” Tom stated as Sabine waved her right hand, pinching Tom with the other once more.

Waiting for the cop to go out of sight, Sabine ran her head with options on how to deal with whatever his husband had brought home. 

~~

A boy. That was what was on his trunk. A dying boy. 

“ _Stop panicking_ ,” Sabine had assured him, but Tom couldn’t help but be panicked! What else was he was supposed to do? There was an injured boy in their kitchen! The said injured boy was behind his truck! Oh god, was he a criminal now? Will he be suspected of attempted murder? What would happen to the bakery? His family? Mon Dieu, Sabine would be working day and night to cover for Marinette’s academic expenses. His reputation would bring the bakery’s reputation down, and they’d lose customers. Sabine woul- “Stop panicking.” 

Sabine always knew how to calm him down, but that tone of hers was when Tom knew he was whipped. Despite that, he couldn’t help but still have an internal panic. After all, there was a dying child in their kitchen!

“ _He’s severely wounded._ ” 

“ _We should really call the police_ ,” Tom wanted to be the voice of reason here, if it meant turning himself in, he’d be willing. He didn’t want a dying child in his bakery. “ _The hospital! Oh my god, the hospital._ ” 

“ _Honey, breathe_.” 

Tom did but that didn’t do much to alleviate his anxiety. 

“ _His bleeding has stopped, thankfully, the stab wound is healing._ ” 

“ _We have to give him to the authorities._ ” 

Sabine frowned at him as if Tom was incredulous to even suggest the idea. “ _And give him to whoever had attacked him? Not on my watch!_ ” Sabine looked at the boy, dark skin of Asian descent. The pain was shown in his face. “ _He’s breaking out in a fever, too. If we leave him to the authorities, he’ll die._ ” 

Flabbergasted, Tom stared at his wife in horror. “A-Are you suggesting we take him in?” It would be scary, especially if the boy was part of the Milieu. A new Caid had just been appointed, and this one was too mysterious that no one knows who is running the French Mafia anymore. Was this boy a target? He had a daughter for Pete’s sake. And his wife. Oh, gods his family. 

“ _Not suggesting,_ ” Sabine was resolute in her decision and it almost, almost, made Tom feel better. “ _We_ will _take him in_.”

~~

Sabine had connections. Way more than she’s willing to tell anyone. Definitely, way more than her husband knows. After all, she did come from quite a powerful family. 

“ _What if the Milieu is involved?_ ” This question was whispered, and Sabine had already coursed the through in her brain. No matter, the child in front of them seemed like kin to her. With his Chinese features, it’s not going to be hard to pretend as if they were related. 

“ _We’ll handle it if they are._ ”

“ _B-but-_ ” 

Before Tom could worry more, Sabine looked at her husband with eyes filled with confidence. “ _Trust me, love._ ” Pecking a kiss on Tom’s white hair, Sabine smiled sweetly. “ _Trust me_.” 

Seeing Tom's Adam's apple bob in a gulp, he nodded his head. Sabine looked back at the boy and started to look for the first aid kit. 

~~

“ _A cousin?_ ” Mari asked incredulously. She’d never heard of any other part of her maternal family aside from her mother’s little sister Bridgette. Her mother’s paternal side was a mystery to her enough, but she knows next to nothing about her mother’s maternal side. 

Her mom looked excited about it, so Mari thought it would be a fun experience. “ _Yes, he arrived early this morning_.”

‘And he never bothered to let them know in advance?’ was what she wanted to ask, but her mother looked like she wanted no further questions. 

“ _C-Can I meet him then_?” 

As if expecting that, her mother gave her a soft smile. “Of course dear, he’s in your room.” 

She let the information process in her mind before staring in wide-eyed in horror at her mother. “ _M-M-M-My r-room_?” 

“ _Yes, which is why I packed a bag for you. We were thinking you could stay over at the Cesaire’s place for tonight._ ” 

What? Are her parents kicking her out?

“ _Nothing of the sort dear_ ,” did her mother just read her mind? “ _We’re just fixing up a place for your cousin tonight unless you want to sleep with a stranger on the same bed_?” 

“ _No! I will not all-_ ” the Dupain-Cheng patriarch boomed from the top of the stairs, but one quick look from her mother and Mari’s dad immediately scampered off. 

“ _And I get back here tomorrow, right_?” she wanted to make sure, she did feel a bit sad though, at the suddenness of everything that was happening. 

“ _Come back before lunch, so we can all have lunch together._ ” 

Her mother kissed her on the cheeks as she was handed a bag filled with clothes and essentials. Walking out the door, she looked up at her room and wondered if the light there will be hers again by tomorrow night. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My knowledge regarding the Chinese black societies and Wu Zetian is limited. All the information I have provided here regarding both are half fictional from my own fantasies to fit this story and half from whatever website I could find with a Google search. Please let me know if this is offending anybody, but know that it is not my intention to do so. Thank you. Enjoy!
> 
>  _Italics_ willl be for used for spoken French.  
>  **Bold** will be used for spoken Chinese.  
> Normal will be used for spoken English.

Sabine Cheng was one of the daughters of a normal Chinese couple. At least, that was what she appeared to be. After all, Cheng, her father’s surname, and Wu, her mother’s maiden name, were both very common in Mainland China. At least, it is now. 

Though it’s true that the Cheng family is as common as one can get, her mother's side of the family was more than what they let on, after all, it was a family burdened to carry the name of China’s first female emperor, Wu Zetian. 

One who didn’t understand history would not know the importance their family held. Though, Zetian wasn’t even the most famous ancestor she had. In fact, her family has been known for producing many successful women, both known in the world’s history and those who are kept hidden. 

This was the reason why, upon cleaning the boy’s wounds off, she immediately knew who to contact. Writing a letter would be best. A call could be intercepted at anytime. Writing to her maternal grandmother, Sabine Cheng coded it to make sure no one else could read the actual message she would send, even if they tried. 

Closing the envelope she, set it on her table to be sent for tomorrow morning. It would arrive in China in a week, or two. She should be able to hold out until then. 

“ _Love_ ,” the Dupain-Cheng patriarch asked demurely from the entranceway of their room. “ _Don’t you think we should tell Marinette the truth about the boy_?” 

Smiling, Sabine offered her husband a hug. “ _Of course, Love. All in good time_.” 

~~

Marinette arrives at their home for lunch with no guest in sight. She didn’t want to be the one to point it out, but the lack of information regarding the cousin of hers that apparently just arrived yesterday was scaring her a bit. 

“ _So-_ ” she started the conversation over the deafening silence of their lunch table. They close the bakery for two hours for the morning pastries to be given to the church and charity while the afternoon pastries are prepared. “ _Where’s my-_ ”

“ _How was your night with the Cesaire’s sweetie_?” The dodge was obvious and made her more skeptical, but she’s not one to question her mother. 

Taking a bite of her rolls, she continued to speak, “ _It was great. I told Alya all about the cousin I had coming._ ” 

At that, her father dropped her spoon and looked at her worriedly. “ _Y-y-you did?_ ” 

Squinting her eyes to stare his father down, Marinette pretended to take a sip of water, only to keep the glass between her lips. “ _Was I not supposed to?_ ” Her voice echoed inside the glass-filled water. 

“ _B-B-But-_ ” 

“ _Tom, dear,_ ” her mother’s tone of voice had always been oh-so-soft, but there was a demanding need behind those words. “ _Would you mind looking after our guest upstairs_?” 

“ _O-Oh! Yes, o-of course, honey._ ” 

Scampering off, her dad left them alone in the living room, leaving one quick peek before going up to her room. 

“ _Mom_ ,” Marinette looked at the worried glance of her father and spoke without moving to look at her mother. “ _What’s really happening?_ ” Contrary to popular belief, Marinette was perceptive. At least she thought she was. 

Sighing, the elder Chinese woman stood up and moved her seat near Marinette. “ _Mari, dearest_.” It was a tone she used when she was explaining something serious, so Marinette stood at attention. “ _There’s something I must confess._ ” 

~~

Sabine couldn’t tell Marinette the truth about the boy, but she can tell her the truth about their family. After all, it’s tradition. Sabine looked at her daughter and saw the curious, yet determined eyes she has. Despite her clumsiness, she worked great under pressure and worked well with her own wants and needs. She might not have been the best mother, but she did it for Mari, so she’s going to guide her now. 

“There’s something I must confess,” Sabine sent out the letter earlier that morning, so she’s sure that someone from the Chinese embassy would have gotten ahold of it by now. Her message would have been passed over to the appropriate people, and the letter burned without a trace. It’d take a day or two for Bridgette to arrive. A week at most for someone from the main branch, but that’s all she needed to fix whatever _this_ was. As long as the boy wakes up, normally, that is. 

“ _Wh-what is it_?” the nervous laughter was the same as hers, although in Mandarin when she was still a little girl. 

“ _Remember how when I go to your grandma’s place, I always stay there for some time with no contact when you were younger_?” 

There was a contemplating pause before her daughter spoke. “ _Yeah, there was no cell area in the countryside, right?_ ” 

“ _And when Bridgette goes on holidays, she goes on long trips without a word?_ ” 

Marinette laughed nervously, “ _Yeah?_ ” 

“ _Well-_ ” before Sabine could continue, Mari stopped her. 

“ _Maman_?” it was a nervous voice. Sabine wondered if Mari figured it out by now. “ _Are we dealing drugs?_ ” the question was whispered as Mari looked sideways as if the birds on their windowsill might hear them. 

Momentarily shocked at the accusation, Sabine laughed in the end. “ _Of course not, sweetie._ ” 

Marinette sighed in relief. 

“ _We deal with other people’s lives_.” 

~~

Bridgette Cheng was in the middle of a mission. A tip stating that the fight between some American so-called superheroes and the League of Assassins was given to their family anonymously. Thankfully, it was near France, too. She didn’t need to take a week off. 

Of course, their grandmother wouldn’t pass this chance to get some information on the infamous Al Ghuls. After all, the Al Ghuls was only one of the many branches of the Wu family. A branch that had been cut off from the main family hundreds of years ago. Since this didn’t seem to be that much of a deal, her elder sister wasn’t asked to accompany her. That was fine, too. Her elder sister had a child already, Marinette might start asking questions. 

Upon arriving at the supposed venue of the fight, all Bridgette could see was the aftermath. Smoke trails, blood, and a few maimed bodies. Checking the area, she saw some masked people forcing a raging man inside a small jet. 

Bridgette tried her best to be unsuspecting. She captured an image and recorded the voices of those who spoke. She’ll get more information on them later, but she needed to gather as much data as she could first. Taking one more look, she saw one of the men, the one wearing black and blue, turn towards her direction. Hiding behind a trail of smoke, Bridgette concealed her presence. 

She moved to a different area, not wanting to be seen, but as she did so, she heard shuffling. When she turned back to where the jet once was, it disappeared. Curious. It doesn’t matter though. She got what she needed. 

Bridgette turned around and checked the rest of the perimeter until she saw a trail of blood leading somewhere. She could guess what might have happened. A survivor. She followed the trail of blood. 

~~

“ _Bodyguards_?” 

“ _Yes._ ” 

“ _Us_?” 

“That’s right,” For some reason, that was less dramatic than Marinette thought. After her mother explained that her maternal family dealt with people’s lives, she thought it was something that was like assassinating or something. Not that she wanted that to happen. Now that she was thinking about it though, she frowned. “Isn’t that still dangerous?” 

“ _That’s right_ ,” her mother held her hands. “ _Which brings us to the topic of your cousin._ ” 

Gulping and thinking the worst, Mari waited for her mother to continue. 

“ _You see, he’s been injured and your grandmother has asked us to take care of him for a change of scenery._ ” 

“ _He’s not,_ ” she didn’t know how to word it properly. “ _Injured_ injured _, right? Or is it like just a small injury_?” 

The kind smile of her mother didn’t relieve her worries. “ _Don’t worry, he’ll live. There’s another thing though._ ”

Mari frowned, “ _Of course mama, what is it?_ ” 

“ _Since we have no extra room and Bridgette’s room is off-limits._ ” 

Bridgette is her mother’s younger sister who is just a few years older than she is in college. One thing Bridgette takes care of is her privacy so her room is locked under bolt and key. 

“ _We were wondering if your cousin could room with you for a while._ ” 

“ _Of course,_ ” she readily agreed. “ _B-but, is h-he okay with that_?” 

“ _Just until we fix up the storage room_.” 

Marinette nodded. It was Saturday and the weekend was just starting, but she had a feeling that it would be longer than it usually would be. 

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, before you read this. I know, I _know_ that Damian isn't that emotional or what-not, but I have been looking up information regarding memory loss, and if their personalities change due to the lack of memories, and I have found some information where in, since they don't have the trauma, they no longer feel obliged to act tough, but a few triggering points will still reveal their personality when they had their memories. I didn't know the psychology of memory loss is so complicated y'all. Of course, it still differs per person, but here, I felt like this would have fit Damian more since I wanted it to be like a "What if" scenario where the question is, "What if Damian was raised by a normal family?" 
> 
> Also, it was a pain in the ass to look for an eastern name that could work in the western world easily. I had to factor in the popularity of the name, too, since if I chose something complicated, I thought it might be hard for French people to pronounce it realistically, which I know is too much, but I overthought this and arrived at Jun. The original name we had for Damian with the original plot though was Armand. With the change of the plot, I just couldn't have him see a Western name. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys still enjoy. Everything after this should go a bit slower.
> 
>  _Italics_ willl be for used for spoken French.  
>  **Bold** will be used for spoken Chinese.  
> Normal will be used for spoken English.

The first thing he felt was the pain in his throat. Gulping whatever amount of saliva he could muster, the boy tried to speak. An unintelligible sound came from his mouth. Trying to open his eyes, a different jolt of pain rushed into his head. 

There was shuffling around him and he felt himself fall from a short height. The feeling of hitting the ground didn’t register right away, when it did, it was focused on his abdomen. Why was everything hurting? 

A cold, smooth texture was directed to his lips. His head was being elevated, and the soft body holding him felt warm. Nice. The cold water entered his mouth, and he gulped it, desperate for every drop. 

" _-kay, you’re doing great_.” 

The voice was unfamiliar to him, but not unwelcome. It sounded somewhat strange though. Where was he anyway?

“ _Are you feeling any better_?” 

He looked at the person holding him in her arms. The first thing he noticed was her eyes. Like the clear sky, except, it was captured in the orbs of her irises. She looked - what was the right word? - pretty cute. Her cheeks accentuated her eyes, too. He wanted to feel it under his fingertips. It must be really warm, basing on the pink tinge, that seemed natural. The surprise on her face as he moved his hand up to get a feel of her cheeks made him retract his hand. In the first place, he didn't even realize that he was lifting his hand until he saw her reaction. In that instant, the girl's features changed from shock to confusion. 

“ **Are you feeling better** _?_ ” another person in the room asked. He looked at the new person, who didn't look a day over 30, and saw the same dark hair with blue highlights. Their voices were different though. Vastly different. Where one has a melodious voice that sounded as pretty as its owner, this one seemed like it belonged to a doctor treating their patient with the best care. It was soft, yet firm. Almost mother-like. Despite all his thinking, he didn’t answer. He felt like he shouldn’t. “ **You should go back to rest.** ” 

He remained silent, focusing on his own breathing and matching it with the girl holding him. He knew for a fact that he was being taken care of, though the 'why?' was a bit baffling to him.

“ _It’s alright_ ,” it was the girl holding him that was reassuring him. He looked up and saw that she was smiling. He wondered if he can stay like this. “ _Y_ _ou’re safe with us._ ” 

He doesn’t doubt that. He _felt_ safe with them. Which seemed strange for some reason. He felt his own muscles relaxing. Was he on guard that much? Opening his mouth to try to speak, he instead coughed at the dehydration. 

As if on cue, another glass of water was waiting for him, and he drank it in an instant. 

“ _Drink slowly,_ ” he did, the care in both words were so evident that he couldn’t help but obey. As soon as his throat was okay, he took a bit of a rest, breathing a few times. He tried to move on his own, but the two women still had to help him sit up. 

“Ah,” he started, frowning at the difference in language in how he spoke and how both women spoke. Should he address them in French or Mandarin? He recognized both languages that they spoke. 

“ _Is something wrong?_ ” The younger female asked in French. French it is. 

“ _I don’t need he-_ ” 

“O _h yes you do,"_ he was immediately cut off by the older woman, quickly switching to French, too. Confused, but not knowing why, the boy continued to look between both his helpers. 

“ _Thank you_ ,” the short-haired woman looked at him pointedly, as if it made sense. 

“ _Thank you?_ ” he repeated, not knowing what was wanted from him. 

“ _You’re welcome_.” 

It felt strange hearing that. It felt strange hearing it, _genuinely_ , at least. 

“ _We’ve been waiting for you to wake up, you know,"_ she seems to be younger than he was, at least he thinks. Because of that, he knew that he must have been too heavy for her. He moved a bit further away when he realized he was leaning on her too much. This proved to be difficult because of the pain from his abdomen. “ _Don’t force yourself. Sweetie, could you get a refill of the water, please?”_ the second sentence was directed to the girl by his side. Nodding, the girl moved and the boy was not being held by the short-haired woman. 

Once the girl was out of sight, disappearing under the floor, the woman continued to speak, this time in a hushed tone that his brain registered as important and confidential. “ _My name is Sabine Cheng and you are in our home. The girl a while ago was my daughter Marinette._ ”

Not registering all those words at once, he only got the last word. “Ma-Mari-” he coughed before trying again. “Marinette,” his voice sounded like a whine. He _loathed_ it. 

“ _That’s right, may we know your name?_ ” 

Name? He racked his brain. He doesn’t know. Looking at the woman, her words from a while ago immediately registered. “Sabine Cheng.” 

“ _Yes, that’s me_. _How about you?_ ” 

“I-” his brain ached. He couldn’t remember. The boy moved to hit his head, but his hand was immediately restrained. He looked up at Sabine. No one was able to move that fast to stop him from hitting himself. Confused, he racked his brain once more. Who was no one? He wasn’t sure. 

“ _It’s okay_ ,” Sabine cooed, enveloping him in her arms. He felt tears in his eyes for inexplicable reasons. He’s never felt such sincere warmth without reason since- he doesn’t know, but it must have been a long time. “ _What do you remember_?” 

Shaking his head, the boy clung to the woman. 

“ _That’s fine, you’re going to be fine_.”

“ _Is everything alright?”_ the girl- Marinette- asked, appearing from under the floor. 

“ _Yes,_ ” Sabine caressed his back, allowing him to breathe properly and feel more relaxed. “Jun _and I are fine._ ” 

Looking up at the foreign name, the boy saw Sabine’s gray eyes. It was a shade so dull and grey that they stood out the more he looked at them. From the words alone, he knew who she was talking about. Instead of responding, he looked down. The name didn’t feel like his, but the care felt so real. Was he Jun? The woman seemed so sure of it, so maybe he was Jun. But why did it feel so _wrong_?

“ _Come here, sweetie._ ” 

Marinette neared them, he felt her presence like an ant on his skin. It pricked him. Soon, she felt a second warmth wrap around him. It wasn’t unwelcome. Both hugs weren’t unwelcome at all, it just felt- _overwhelming_. 

“ _A hugfest without me_?” a male voice, new to his ears, erupted from where Marinette came from on the ground. The boy reflexively moved away from the two females and shielded them from the intruder, glaring at the oversized man. 

There was a moment of silence that passed, a cricket sang, the wind blew, a window opened, and in that small minute moment, the boy was up on his feet, the pain on his abdomen forgotten. His senses told him to protect, and protect with all his life. Like it was the most natural thing to do. He was suddenly just in front of the man, one of his hands hanging on the side as if to cover the women behind him. 

“ _Hey, hey, it’s okay,_ ” the older woman held his back, and he fell to the touch. “ _He’s with us._ ” 

Feeling his ragged breathing, the boy calmed the adrenaline he had down. The pain starting to come back. 

“Ah-ow,” 

“ _Here_ ,” the smaller girl offered the wet towel. Opening the area he was clutching, he let her wipe his wound. “ _Just lay down._ ” 

He did, entranced at that voice. 

“ _Am I allowed inside?_ ” 

Sabine looked at him, checking his wound no doubt, but he felt as if she was asking for permission, too. He nodded. 

“ _Come on up honey._ ” 

Seeing the large man now, he didn’t seem as dangerous as he looked. In fact, he seemed the least dangerous of the 2 other people in the room, what with Sabine’s dangerous kindness, and Marinette’s lethal smile. 

“ _This is my husband, Tom_.”

He opened his mouth, a name on the tip of his tongue. For a moment, he realized he was about to introduce himself, but remembered the nagging feeling he had. He couldn’t remember anything at all. Instantly, Sabine’s voice, from a while ago, rang in her mind. 

“ _Jun_ ,” the name came natural to him now despite how foreign it seemed when he first heard it, but his heart ached. If he was a great liar, or that was really his name, he doesn’t know. “ _My name is Jun_.” 


End file.
